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Several parents want an award-winning novel they say is filled with violent, exploitive sexual references removed from Bluewater classrooms.

Timothy Findley's The Wars, which won the Governor General's Award for fiction in 1977, is "filled with adult content," Tiverton parent Carolyn Waddell told trustees.

"The book includes a number of very explicit and detailed descriptions of sexual encounters, most of them exploitive and violent," Waddell said.

She objected especially to details about the hero's visit to a "whorehouse" and to a vivid description of the young Canadian soldier's gang rape by fellow soldiers.

With several other parents supporting her, Waddell asked that trustees review the book she said is "inappropriate to be presented to a class of young people."

A student trustee and a student senator who have studied the book this school year disagreed. In interviews after the board meeting, both said Grade 12 students are adults who should face rather than be shielded from such realities.

"These things did happen in World War 1. The process of coming to terms with that is valuable and necessary," said Janelle Taylor, whose university level Grade 12 English class at Kincardine District is currently studying The Wars.

"It does deserve a place in the classroom. I think students need to understand that these (things) actually do happen," Taylor said.

Nicola Bruce, a student at Saugeen District, studied the novel last semester.

"In this novel, there definitely are controversial, very topical, sensitive issues," Bruce said. "But the novel itself is by no means offensive, not whatsoever. You study the issues and discuss it in a healthy classroom environment to understand big topics in a very healthy way. I think any teacher that wishes to teach it still in our school board absolutely has a right to, yes."

Waddell first raised questions over Findlay's novel with board officials last October, after her daughter at SDSS highlighted concerns about its content. She told trustees the book is "inconsistent with" several board polices, including the human rights policy, and said such material may traumatize some students.

The small group of parents wants trustees to review the book immediately and also want board officials to publish a list of curriculum materials, with descriptions for parents of all books used in classrooms.

Waddell also said since board staff have not reviewed the book as requested, she brought the complaint to the trustees, urging the board to make sure the book complies with board policy.

"You may be concerned that we are aiming for censorship here. We are not. We are simply asking for responsible education in our school system."

Bruce said she believes the parents have a right to raise concerns, but the book and its difficult subject matter belongs on the study list.

"We talk about two world wars and the Holocaust. These issues are real, too, and horrifying. Many students come home and confide in their parents about sensitive issues but we still have to learn them," Bruce said. "I'm moving to Toronto in September to study world issues. I want to learn about this stuff and I have every right to."

As is usual with delegations at public board meetings, there was no discussion. Trustees asked no questions. Board chair Marg Gaviller promised a response within a month.

Although trustees did not hear from students at the meeting about their impressions of the book, the students and board officials said any decision would consider the students views.

Alana Murray, the board's superintendent of secondary education, said after the meeting this is the first request she recalls within the Bluewater board for a ban on this, or any other book taught in its schools.

In 1991, a student in Lambton county asked school officials there to remove the book from its English curriculum, arguing it encouraged students to accept homosexuality. That board upheld the use of the book at the OAC, or Grade 13 level.

The Wars was among 26 challenged or banned books released in February 2010 by the University of Victoria to recognize the 26th anniversary of Freedom to Read Week in Canada.

Murray said The Wars is not a compulsory book but has for many years been on the list of books English teachers may choose to teach to meet the objectives of the Ontario Grade 12 curriculum. A board textbook review committee is currently developing a new criteria for reviewing materials on that list, she said.

"At this point there is no recommendation from those staff to remove any specific texts from that list," Murray said